Learning to Listen

Learning to listen

When I was on the Lee Sterry Late lunch show for Mental Health week. I spoke about dinosaur Ideals and ways we have of dealing with depression and mental illness. That we look at things in the wrong way because it is the way we were taught and our parents were taught by there parents. I talked about how things have to change and that those ideals are so old and out of touch. It is so sad that we are living in an age when teen agers are being put on anti depressants.

But the good news is that parents are starting to see this and want to become part of the change. This past week I had very good conversations with parents at the talk I did in Orangeville. They all asked the same question how do we change? What do we do to reach our children and help them? Like I said on the air on CKTB you listen to your children and learn from them and when an old piece of advice pops into your head you stop and don’t say it. You listen to them and let them express there feelings they need to know it is okay to feel sad, it is okay that they feel upset over something that has hurt them.

When you do this you learn to listen and you build a bond with you child or friend or family member. A bond of trust and a relationship were there is no judging going on and in just doing that you are doing a world of good because now this person will feel that they are not alone and if you share your feelings in return you have just done an amazing thing for this person.

That is the power of open conversation and that is what kills the stigma. When you open up and put aside your fears that stop you from moving forward and realize that you are never alone then the world opens up and the feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and that things will never change will disappear. By just having someone to talk to who understands is priceless and who will be there when you need them is even more priceless..

Remember when you say to your children you can talk to me about anything mean it! Let them talk because if you say to them ,Get over it or Move on, or my favourite MAN UP. They will not come to you anymore because you actually didn’t listen them after all.. We can learn a lot from our children by just listening and listening will help everyone involved. Because we all feel the same emotions in life and we all have been in the same positions at one time in our lives so listen and be there and break the stigma!! Listening is a tool we all need to sharpen and start learning to use!

“Only with open conversation can we kill the stigma behind depression, Let’s start talking and kill it together!”